In packaging systems it is common to convey articles in multiple article infeed lanes and to form groups of infed articles into conveyors for downstream packaging. While many systems so operate, article infeed and article grouping for downstream packaging present major article handling concerns. Three of these present significant article handling problems arising, for example, from the article shape, from the respective article orientation in the desired, formed groups and from the manner or pattern in which the articles are fed along the multiple article infeed lanes.
In particular, articles may not be symmetrical but can be of asymmetrical shapes. Orientation of such adjacent articles with respect to each other in a group is critical to meet ultimate packaging goals such as desired optimal nesting of adjacent articles in a package of smallest possible size for the number of articles therein. Also, carton or package cutouts to showcase a feature of the product may require article re-orientation from the original orientation of the article being fed from the multiple lane supply. Thus where such articles are fed in multiple article infeed lanes, even if initially in the same orientation, relative article orientation in final packaging positions may require article re-orientation during the article handling in a packaging system.
For example, articles might be oblong with either narrow edge leading or broad edge leading in the multiple article infeed lanes. Ultimate packaging may require two respective adjacent articles with these ends either aligned or juxtaposed in adjacent position. Articles of such configuration, by way of example, may be pouches, bars, trays or the like. Where articles are supplied in multiple lanes, the spacing of side-by-side or parallel lanes complicates or hinders re-orientation of supplied articles, particularly where lanes are so closely spaced side-by-side that turning any article may interfere with an adjacent article.
Another article handling problem has arisen where there are gaps, or missing articles in article infeed streams or lanes. More particularly, it is preferable that each infeed or stream or lane is filled with a succession or seriatim of articles one after another at predetermined sequence or pitch positions and without a missing article at any anticipated pitch position. Absence of even one article in an anticipated or expected pitch position results in a downstream incomplete article group emanating from the transfer region or in a completed (except for the article omission) group. This results in incomplete article groups for packaging, in rejection or waste of the incomplete article group, or in additional article make-up expense.
Several methods are known to meet these difficulties. Very often customers would have had to accept the waste of the good product in incomplete groups in order to save equipment cost and/or floor space for complex solutions. Another solution, for example, has been the use of additional pre-filled magazines and conveyor sections to automatically replenish missing articles or product. Another prior solution is the addition of a load station where an operator manually loads missing product or articles at lower machine speeds and through-put.
Accordingly it has been an objective of the invention to provide apparatus and methods for both properly orienting articles in groups for packaging and for providing complete article groups for packaging where article infeed is inconsistent, and doing so without waste or additional expense.
Another objective of the invention has been to provide apparatus and methods for re-orienting articles from a multiple lane article supply into different orientation for downstream packaging.
Another objective of the invention has been to provide apparatus and methods for forming complete article groups, with no missing articles, and from a multiple lane article infeed having inconsistent article spacing.